Event Details

After a wildly successful pilot course last winter, thanks to the collaboration of Lindsay Wildlife Experience, Save Mount Diablo, and the Mount Diablo Interpretive Association, the Mount Diablo Region CalNat class is back this Fall, hosted by Lindsay Wildlife Experience! Named for Contra Costa county’s iconic 3,849-foot peak, the Mount Diablo region stretches from Pittsburg and Antioch all the way to Corral Hollow, southwest of Tracy, and includes many regional parks, city open spaces, state parks, and reservoirs. Team-taught by local expert guest speakers and Merritt College biology professor Brad Balukjian, the Mount Diablo CalNat class provides a broad overview of California natural history while helping participants to become skilled interpreters, citizen scientists, and stewards of the lands and lives around Mount Diablo.

Through three weekend field trips, classroom instruction, and hands-on exercises, participants will observe and learn about the variety of ecosystems in our region. Participants will develop their ability to observe and engage with nature through keeping a field journal, contributing to a class citizen science project, making observations on the app iNaturalist, and completing capstone projects. Upon completing certification requirements, participants are eligible for four academic credits through UC Davis Extension for an additional nominal fee.

The fall 2017 course is full. To be added to the mailing list for future class offerings please contact Brad Balukjian at bbalukjian@gmail.com.

Course dates: September 18-November 20. The course will run on ten consecutive Monday nights, from 6-8:45 PM, beginning September 18 and ending November 20. There will also be three Saturday field trips, each four hours long.